Why are Languages Taught SO SHITTILY in schools (UK)?

[Zopiclone bandit]

The Chinese Qtr in the city is full of Mainland Chinese over at the University, one of my dirty little habits is to walk around there & say "Nǐ hǎo" to all the Chinese. Most just laugh at me, every now & again you get the same reply back which makes me smile.

I got really caught out one day, some woman I said it to went into a full on Chinese rant at me & I just nodded & walked off saying "Zàijiàn"

 

[Zopiclone bandit]

Here you go @ChemicallyEnhanced

 

[Zopiclone bandit]

“De la muerte no te escapas, ni aunque te escondas"

As told to an Anthropologist I know who was spending time with a Zapotec speaking Witch in South Mexico, I love that Mexican saying so much I want it as a tattoo.

​

 

[Zopiclone bandit]

And this Council Tax rebate, always with the fucking mañana!!!!
Putas idiotas!!!!!!

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

“De la muerte no te escapas, ni aunque te escondas"

As told to an Anthropologist I know who was spending time with a Zapotec speaking Witch in South Mexico, I love that Mexican saying so much I want it as a tattoo.

​

"speaking Witch" - did you mean "speaking with" or is there literally some archaic language Witches speak? (I'm honestly unsure lol)

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

And this Council Tax rebate, always with the fucking mañana!!!!
Putas idiotas!!!!!!

malditos gringos

 

[nznity]

Maybe not literally every school, but so far as I know, taking a Foreign Language is mandatory in UK High School. Which I actually think is great, speaking a second language is an excellent skill to have...but they do such a crap job teaching them. Almost nobody here (at least among native English speakers) can actually speak a second language, And I don't know anybody who can even speak passably or conversationally in a language they did at school.
Like, I did French for 5 years in high school and while mais oui je peux parler un peu de français, I've been teaching myself Spanish for seven months and can speak it WAY, WAY better.

It's sad because they obviously go about teaching it in all the wrong ways and it could be such an advantage to have.

That's not only in the uk, it's in most countries. It actually depends on the teacher a lot too.

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

That's not only in the uk, it's in most countries. It actually depends on the teacher a lot too.

Well, most native English speaking countries. I've met a lot of teens from elsewhere in the world (that sounds bad lol) and their English is often excellent.

 

[nznity]

Well, most native English speaking countries. I've met a lot of teens from elsewhere in the world (that sounds bad lol) and their English is often excellent.

For example I've studied English in a couple of academies and at school in my country. Buttttt I truly learned 99% of what I know interacting with other ppl playing videogames online and reading by myself. In 2 years playing this online video game called "Maple Story"( which was very popular back in those days 2008-2010) I learned more English that way than what they taught me at school from kinder til the end of Highschool. Then I got into this well known academy in Lima but tbh everything they taught me there I already knew it from all those years interacting with other people on the internet. I only got Into that Academy to get a diploma for my CV and to take this international exam called FCE which I passed almost flawlessly. So yeah, I'm actually a self taught person.

 

[December Flower]

 

[Zopiclone bandit]

"speaking Witch" - did you mean "speaking with" or is there literally some archaic language Witches speak? (I'm honestly unsure lol)

She is a Bruja who's first language is Zapotecan.
Her Spanish is better than mine too, the way she says my name in English made me laugh, the lady I know had the Bruja record a voicenote for me on Signal. I'm beaten by a woman who lives in a hut with a dirt floor etc, she speaks 3 languages & never went to School!!!!

​

 

[Zopiclone bandit]

One of the Mexican Spanish tracks I love, I play this when I have some weed & do my Prayers to Santa Muerte @ChemicallyEnhanced
My Spanish is more Spanglish, I find the language hard but I've been reading it in pieces linked online & playing Mexican Rap music for so long bits get stuck in your mind & you pick up way more than you think.

 

[Zopiclone bandit]

I find Mexican folks speak it in a different way to actual Spanish people from Europe.

 

[fastandbulbous]

Maybe not literally every school, but so far as I know, taking a Foreign Language is mandatory in UK High School. Which I actually think is great, speaking a second language is an excellent skill to have...but they do such a crap job teaching them. Almost nobody here (at least among native English speakers) can actually speak a second language, And I don't know anybody who can even speak passably or conversationally in a language they did at school.
Like, I did French for 5 years in high school and while mais oui je peux parler un peu de français, I've been teaching myself Spanish for seven months and can speak it WAY, WAY better.

It's sad because they obviously go about teaching it in all the wrong ways and it could be such an advantage to have.

Because the British Empire along with N America (US & Canada), made English the dominant world language. So, why have ti learn Johnny Forigner's language, when they should learn English?
Sad but true...

 

[fastandbulbous]

Yes, but words can still be around for years before they are added.

Methoxetamine got added pretty quickly, after all the ho-haw about it. Not on the scale of Shakespeare, but my own little contribuion to the language

 

[December Flower]

Because the British Empire along with N America (US & Canada), made English the dominant world language. So, why have ti learn Johnny Forigner's language, when they should learn English?
Sad but true...

lol. we all speak English. Often better than the natives.
Also other languages. I had English, French, Spanish and Latin at school. (you need to speak 3 languages for generalized higher education here[native counts], i'm just a geek for languages.)
And German ofc, but that's my native language. (well technically Bavarian is my native language, but w/e)

It's honestly just lazy education to not teach other languages in detail(also an utter waste of the kids' braincells)
Sports play too much of a role esp in the US, why some people get through school with sports only, how ridiculous is that even?

 

[The Shadow Self]

Well, to be fair, generally speaking, schools do lots of things rather poorly. And have for a very long time...

The Emergence of Compulsory Schooling and Anarchist Resistance | Institute for Social Ecology

by Matt Hern The history of the development of Western schooling is a complex and meandering thing, but I think it is worth looking at in a very abbreviated form here. A little insight into the logics and basis for contemporary compulsory schooling might be useful to social ecologists. While...

social-ecology.org

Some interesting information regarding the history of compulsory education for anyone that cares to read it.

 

[nznity]

Maybe not literally every school, but so far as I know, taking a Foreign Language is mandatory in UK High School. Which I actually think is great, speaking a second language is an excellent skill to have...but they do such a crap job teaching them. Almost nobody here (at least among native English speakers) can actually speak a second language, And I don't know anybody who can even speak passably or conversationally in a language they did at school.
Like, I did French for 5 years in high school and while mais oui je peux parler un peu de français, I've been teaching myself Spanish for seven months and can speak it WAY, WAY better.

It's sad because they obviously go about teaching it in all the wrong ways and it could be such an advantage to have.

That happens everywhere man, not just in the UK lols. It depends a lot on the teacher also, there's good teachers out there.

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

The problem is that they start too late; you can learn by immersion at a young age so if you get kids learning other languages before the age of 9 (ideally at age 3-5) they learn without having to study

Instead you are mandated to start learning a language as a teen; it's the wrong way. My children are tri lingual and fluent. I am kinda tri lingual but suck badly at two of the three

Yeah I think languages should be introduced very early on. Your brain is naturally geared towards acquiring language at that point in your life, you soak up words like a sponge and you're not self - conscious about mistakes. It's also just fun at that age. Whereas later, whether or not you have a special aptitude for languages comes into play much more and the learning process becomes a laborious off - putting chore for those who don't have it.

 

[fastandbulbous]

lol. we all speak English. Often better than the natives.
Also other languages. I had English, French, Spanish and Latin at school. (you need to speak 3 languages for generalized higher education here[native counts], i'm just a geek for languages.)
And German ofc, but that's my native language. (well technically Bavarian is my native language, but w/e)

It's honestly just lazy education to not teach other languages in detail(also an utter waste of the kids' braincells)
Sports play too much of a role esp in the US, why some people get through school with sports only, how ridiculous is that even?

Sadly, some of us are shite with languages, even my native tongue. Science makes much more logical sense (thank fuck English doesn't have this word gender malarky!)